Myocardial infarction (MI) is primarily caused by blockade of the coronary circulation, resulting in ischemic insult. The only available remedy is reperfusion, which induces oxidative stress and activates inflammatory responses at the site of injury. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) are potent pro-inflammatory mediators that exert their effects through two classical receptors: cysLT receptor 1 (CysLT1R) and cysLT receptor 2 (CysLT2R), the latter of which is prevalent in the heart and circulatory system and has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. However, although endothelial CysLT2R overexpression exacerbates MI damage and induces vascular hyperpermeability, understanding of CysLT2R activation-induced mechanisms is poor, as isolating CysLT2R-specific effects has proven difficult due to a lack of appropriate pharmacological agents. We investigate herein the role of CysLT2R activation in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. We have characterized a novel CysLT2R-selective antagonist BayCysLT2 in both in vitro and in vivo systems, and establish that CysLT2R-selective antagonism attenuates exacerbated MI injury, adhesion molecule gene regulation, and myocardial neutrophil presence observed in CysLT2R overexpressing (EC) mice. We also examined effects of CysLT2R antagonism in long-term cardiac remodeling post-myocardial infarction, and found that blockade of CysLT2R post-reperfusion, regardless of whether CysLT2R is overexpressed or not, elicits a mild pathological cardiac hypertrophic response despite mitigating infarction damage to the apical ventricular wall. Finally, we created a novel mouse model (EC/KO) that expresses CysLT2R predominantly in vascular endothelium in order to identify tissue-specific mechanisms of CysLT2R activation. Surprisingly, MI injury was attenuated in EC/KO mice, indicating that both endothelial and non-endothelial CysLT2R expression subsets have roles in mediating infarction injury. Indeed, EC/KO mice demonstrated hyperpermeability in cremaster venules only when leukotrienes are applied, in contrast to EC mice. In addition, endothelial CysLT2R activation facilitates leukocyte transmigration, whereas non-endothelial CysLT2Rs regulate basal rolling leukocyte flux in microvasculature. Although much work remains to be done, the characterization of a CysLT2R-selective antagonist provides a vital tool for CysLT2R research moving forward, and our investigation of CysLT2R activation reveal the existence of a complicated and multi-faceted pathway resulting in activation of pro-inflammatory mechanisms. / Thesis (Ph.D, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-26 10:29:03.466
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OKQ.1974/8322 |
| Date | 26 September 2013 |
| Creators | Ni, NATHAN |
| Contributors | Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Theses (Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.)) |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner. |
| Relation | Canadian theses |
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